What you pay for auto insurance is largely based on what kind of risk the company predicts you will be, based on known factors like your driving history, the kind of car you drive, your age and gender, your marital status and where you live.Carole Walker, RMIIA

Teen Driving Statistics

National Teen Driving Statistics

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among 15- to 20-year olds, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. National studies of graduated licensing found that strong laws were associated with substantially lower fatal crash rates and substantially lower insurance claim rates among young teen drivers covered by the laws. Strong restrictions on nighttime driving and teen passengers, as well as raising the licensing age, reduced rates of fatal crashes and insurance collision claims.

In 2012, 54 percent of the deaths of teenage passengers in passenger vehicles occurred in vehicles driven by another teenager. Among deaths of passengers of all ages, 14 percent occurred when a teenager was driving.

In 2012, belt use among fatally injured passenger vehicle drivers ages 16-19 (42 percent) was higher than among fatally injured drivers ages 20-29 (37 percent) but lower than among drivers 30 and older combined (49 percent). Among fatally injured 16-19 year-old occupants, belt use among passengers (30 percent) was considerably lower than among drivers (42 percent). Note that belt use among those fatally injured is not always accurately recorded, but it gives an indication of relative belt use rates in serious crashes by age group.

Among passenger vehicle drivers ages 16-19 involved in fatal crashes in 2012, 48 percent were involved in single-vehicle crashes. This was higher than for drivers ages 25 and older (39 percent).

Among fatally injured teenage drivers in 2012, females were less likely than males to have high BACs. Among fatally injured passenger vehicle drivers ages 16-17, 18 percent of males and 10 percent of females had BACs at or above 0.08 percent. Among fatally injured drivers ages 18-19, 30 percent of males and 17 percent of females had BACs at or above 0.08 percent.

The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety released a report in May 2012 that showed that the risk of 16- or 17-year old drivers being killed in a crash increases with each additional teenage passenger in the vehicle. The risk increases 44 percent with one passenger; it doubles with two passengers, and quadruples with three or more passengers. The study analyzed crash data and the number of miles driven by 16- and 17-year olds.

From 2004 to 2011, rates of motor vehicle crash deaths among 15- to 19-year-olds in Colorado dropped more than 67 percent. However, in 2012, Colorado experienced a 10 percent rise in teen fatalities from 2011.

Target Group

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

Motor vehicle traffic
deaths
ages 15-19
CO residents

106

62

64

61

48

43

39

36

40

Inexperience was the contributing factor to approximately 12 percent of all teen crashes in 2011 in Colorado. This percentage remained the same whether there was an injury and fatality or not.

Teen drivers represent nearly 6% of licensed Colorado drivers, but they account for more than 11% of all traffic deaths in the state.

A 2013 survey of 738 parents of teens throughout Colorado showed only 6.4 percent of parents could accurately identify components of graduated drivers licensing laws, including curfews, passenger restrictions and seat belt requirements.

Distraction and Teen Crashes

The most comprehensive research ever conducted into crash videos of teen drivers has found significant evidence that distracted driving is likely much more serious a problem than previously known, according to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. The unprecedented video analysis finds that distraction was a factor in nearly 6 out of 10 moderate-to-severe teen crashes.

Researchers analyzed the six seconds leading up to a crash in nearly 1,700 videos of teen drivers taken from in-vehicle event recorders. The results showed that distraction was a factor in 58 percent of all crashes studied, including 89 percent of road-departure crashes and 76 percent of rear-end crashes. Click here for the full AAA news release.

The most common forms of distraction leading up to a crash by a teen driver included:

Interacting with one or more passengers: 15 percent of crashes

Cell phone use: 12 percent of crashes

Looking at something in the vehicle: 10 percent of crashes

Looking at something outside the vehicle: 9 percent of crashes

Singing/moving to music: 8 percent of crashes

Grooming: 6 percent of crashes

Reaching for an object: 6 percent of crashes

IIHS Recommendations on Used Vehicles for Teens

According to new research by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), many teenagers are driving vehicles that don't offer good crash protection and lack important safety technology. To help guide parents toward safer choices, IIHS has compiled its first-ever list of recommended used vehicles for teens.

In a national survey of parents of teen drivers, 83 percent of those who bought a vehicle for their teenagers said they bought it used. With that reality in mind, the IIHS has compiled a list of affordable used vehicles that meet important safety criteria for teen drivers.

A separate IIHS study shows that teenagers killed in crashes are more likely than adults to have been behind the wheel of small vehicles and older vehicles. Among fatally injured drivers ages 15-17 in 2008-12, 29 percent were in minicars or small cars, while 20 percent of fatally injured drivers ages 35-50 were. Eighty-two percent of the young teen drivers were in vehicles that were at least 6 years old, compared with 77 percent of those in the adult group.

The recommendations on teen vehicle choice are guided by four main principles:

Young drivers should stay away from high horsepower. Vehicles with more powerful engines can tempt them to test the limits.

Bigger, heavier vehicles protect better in a crash. There are no minicars or small cars on the recommended list. Small SUVs are included because their weight is similar to that of a midsize car.

ESC is a must. This feature, which helps a driver maintain control of the vehicle on curves and slippery roads, reduces risk on a level comparable to safety belts.

Vehicles should have the best safety ratings possible. At a minimum, that means good ratings in the IIHS moderate overlap front test, acceptable ratings in the IIHS side crash test and four or five stars from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).